I’ve been getting the question often this year: “Can I make more than one version of the Common App?”
There are lots of reasons why applicants might want to submit more than one version of the Common App.
However, there are many situations in which you do NOT need to make an entirely new version of the Common Application. Let’s look at those first.
Don’t make a new version of the Common App because you made a mistake
If you submit a version of the Common App to one college and then you discover that you made some sort of error on that application, you don’t need to completely start over with a new version. Rather, you should do two things. First, email the college to which you sent the mistake and explain what happened and ask–very nicely, without whining, and with great humility–if the admissions officer can simply update your file with the correction. Everyone knows that mistakes can happen, and admissions officers are generally fairly understanding in this sort of circumstances. It’s always better for you to catch your own mistake and alert the admissions office of it. To leave the admissions office to discover the mistake would leave a question in their minds, especially if the boo-boo was big one. Once you’ve sent the Common App to a school, you cannot correct it. But you don’t have to start over with a completely new version of the Common App.
If you want to make changes for different colleges, you don’t need a new version of the Common App
Sometimes you may want to provide slightly different answers to some of the Common App questions for the different schools on your list. One of the most common is to change the career interest you have identified on the Common App. Another example is changing the order of your activities or honors to present a slightly different strategy from one college to the next. Or, you may want to shift around your answers in the “Additional information” section so as to make it more specific to a particular university, major, or program. However, you don’t need to create an entirely different version of the Common App to make these changes. Simply make the change, then submit the completed application–with changes–to the next college on your list. Once it is submitted, you can then go back and change the answers to questions or reorder the lists, as you wish.
The one thing to keep in mind ,however, is that making multiple versions of the Common App can cause you to make even more mistakes. If you are making multiple versions, be sure to proofread over and over again–and to use the “preview” function of the Common App–to make sure that you are submitting the appropriate version to each particular school. Recall that the Common App was created in order to submit identical applications to all the schools on your list. By tailoring each application to each school on your list, you are creating headaches for yourself that require you to pay close attention to which version goes to which school.
If you write a new version of your essay, you don’t need a new version
Some students write a complete essay for the Common App, and then decide to completely chuck it out and start over. This can happen between the time one submits Early Action or Early Decision applications and the deadlines for the regular admission round. Or they decide to revise it heavily based on feedback they have receive from a teacher, parent, or college essay consultant.
Not so long ago, the essay was the one thing you could not change on your Common App once you submitted the application to one college. Now, however, you can send a different version of your Common App essay to each and every school on your list. But why would you do that? The whole point of the Common App is to allow you to create a single essay that you send to all the schools on your list. So we advise that you try to keep it to one version.
However, sometimes we discover new ways to improve the essay–so make those improvements when you can. And if you decide that your current essay just isn’t a good representation of who you are and you want to go back to the drawing board, do it. You can always submit a new version of your Common App, if you really need to.
The 20-College Limit
Over the past two decades, students have gradually been applying to more and more schools. There are lots of reasons for this–which we won’t go into here–but more and more students are considering applying to more and more schools.
As a result, some are trying to impose some limits. Some secondary schools will not support more than 10 applications: the college counselors will not send out more than 10 transcripts. This forces students to make tough decisions.
The Common App, for its part, limits the number of applications you can submit to 20. But what if you want to apply to more than 20. You have to make a new version of the Common App!
How do I make a new version of the Common App?
The Common App imposes their limits by making it impossible to have two Common App accounts with the same email address. So if you want to create an entirely new version of the Common App, you have to create an entirely new account with a different email address.
Easy peasy.
However, as mentioned before, creating lots of different versions of the application leaves greater room for error. Further, you need to be sure that your school counselor will support more than 20 applications and will send all your transcripts and recommendations to however many schools appear on your list.
Summary
The whole point of the common app is that is “common” to all schools. This should be a benefit to most applicants who will not have to make more than version of the Common App before submitting the application to each of the colleges on their list. However, if you make mistakes or need to make some strategic adjustments to your application, you can do so without making an entirely new version.
However, if you plan to apply to more than 20 colleges, you will need a second version of the Common App that is linked to a different email address.
But beware the administrative risks in juggling different versions of the application. While the freedom to make changes puts you in control, you also bear more risk in making some sort of mistake. So be careful, and good luck in the college application process.
And if you’d like more assistance with how to approach your applications, contact Great College Advice a call and let us help you out.
Andrea Aronson
College Advisor
Westfield, New Jersey
